Virtual urgent care in an integrated value based healthcare system

Virtual urgent care (VUC) is not well understood when delivered through an integrated value-based healthcare system. The Southern California Permanente Medical Group operates Get Care Now (GCN), a VUC program complementing its urgent care clinics (UCC). Quality and patient experience dimensions are included in this study, comparing GCN and UCC patients. Females and Hispanics/Latinos were predominant in both groups and proportions of patients with chronic conditions were nearly identical within the leading 30-49 age band. Wait times for GCN were 21.19 min lower than for UCC, and positive patient survey results align with GCN's average Net Promoter Score of 87. 3-day return rates to the ED (2.53% GCN vs. 3.26% UCC) and to UCC (5.44% GCN vs. 2.42% UCC) were comparable between GCN and UCC utilizers. Findings demonstrate that 24/7 VUC sustainably supports meeting patient demand for urgent care services in an integrated value-based system.